The invention of Air Conditioning and the advent of small, affordable units capable of cooling a home created a revolution in all tropical and sub-tropical climates. In the Unites States, it was suddenly possible to live in areas with high temperature/high humidity summers (such as the Southeast). Similarly, the advent of efficient, fossil fueled heating units has allowed much more comfortable lives for those living in the far North/South regions of the planet.
Over time, the development of automated climate control systems led to very comfortable living spaces with little or no human intervention. Coupled with the availability of materials, and due to the volume rule, the volumetric space being climate controlled in a modern house did not double (as did the home area, but quadrupled). In recent time, energy costs have risen, and it is expected that they will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
Kettering et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,741 teaches a bed enclosure having an air conditioned unit connected to it. However, in his case, the A/C exhaust (the heat exchanged from the enclosure) is exhausted into the space next to the bed. Since in most homes this would be the actual bedroom where the bed is, this is disadvantageous. Most of us would resent leaving a bed enclosure at 20° C., only to exit into a Bedroom at 35° C.
McClaren et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,817 teaches a solution for this problem, by providing a conduit through which conditioned air (Heated or Cooled) can be piped to the unit. While this is perfect for a commercial/industrial application, most homes are not equipped with compressors for routing air at the pressures required to make this work.
There exists a need in the art for an energy efficient solution that would deliver climate control to a subset of the living volume within a dwelling, in particular to the volume occupied by dwellers during significant periods of time, such as the living and entertainment areas, all with out requiring significant changes to the living quarters.